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[Sarai]

At the grand old age of 53 I'm pretty sure my anxiety, tingles, palpitations etc are now being driven by hormones, and depression caused by recent events.
But I don't take HRT, didn't ever want to either, however I cant imagine living like I am on a knife edge for years to come.
I hate this so much laid in bed in the morning one thought about what needs to be done and boom anxiety is there. I have always been a planner now I cant even allow a thought of a day trip to enter my head. Its so miserable.
I've been put forward for CBT but I cant see how talking can stop my hormone fluctuations really I cant.
Has anybody recovered from their anxiety?
I take propranolol and am on an AD, I already was when this all hit me.
I'm rambling, just typing this is making my anxiety rise.

[babyjane]

Good morning Sarai, it is a familiar story I'm afraid.  I also have not had HRT, nor do I want to at this stage - aged 58 and about 6 years post meno.

The anxiety is better some days than others for me. I find what I eat the day before can have an effect on how bad mine is.

I also take a low dose beta blocker otherwise I have found that reading posts and knowing others are feeling the same is strangely reassuring.

I said in another post that I know a few ladies in their 70s who don't have any more meno symptoms, all I can say is roll on my 70s

I found this thread very helpful for me http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,27516.0.html

[Sarai]

babyjane, Im not really reassured to hear you are 6 years post and still get it. I have a lot of post meno friends who all report they only got flushes, they are all in their 60's and all took hrt whatever the docs gave them, none questioned it, all stopped and all are fine. I feel quite jealous.

[babyjane]

I think some women get it easy, some less so and others get it bad.  that's what I have realised since being on the forum.  I have always said I would try HRT if my quality of life became unmanageable but it never did although sometimes it is not pleasant.  However from reading posts I see that HRT is not necessarily a cure all and can sometimes replace one problem with another.  I am so intolerant of medication I would rather problems I am familiar with than a lot of new ones.

Anyway that's just me but I am sometimes a bit suspicious of ladies who 'sailed' through although I am sure there are some.  I suppose to someone really struggling they would think I have 'sailed' through.  It is all relative.

Hope you have a decent day.

[dazned]

Hi Sarai you say you are on ADs already have you discussed with doctor either slightly increasing the dose or trying a different one altogether ? As for how long does it last ......how longs a piece of string ! I'm now 55 ,started all this rubbish 6 years ago and just had a horrendous spell ,4 weeks, of crippling anxiety,palps,etc. Just started some Ads which I was against taking but was so desperate I did they have abated somewhat but still far from perfect . I'm not expecting these feelings to stop any time soon I have to unfortunately have to say 

[SueRoe]

Sarai, please don't feel discouraged by some womens' experiences of perimenopause and menopause lasting until their late 50s. We are all different and you might not have the same experience as them. At any time your symptoms might reduce and things might start to improve. I completely understand the inability to plan anything. I'm the same and it's maddening especially when being "a planner" was what I was. I too am 53 and have great difficulty facing each day but once I'm up and have eaten something I feel better. Have you tried having something to eat (a biscuit?) as soon as you wake before you get up to lift your blood sugar level and hopefully your mood? Big hug

[Sarai]

Yes I do , my hubby now brings half a banana and some milk at around 8am. I try to go back to sleep but thats getting hard now as my panic button is on full alert.
I wanted to get up to take my dd to the station this morning but could not face it so early. Once the only issue with early was being tired, now its shaking and jelly legs. give me plain old tired any day.

[Winterose]

Mine started at around 50 and the flushes and sleep loss became intolerable so took HRT and symptoms improved 80% , I suspect if I hadnt had HRT would have had some low does ADS .They discovered I had a low thyroid which was not helping the palpitations and the levo helped that.   8 Years on I now rarely get a flush and the palpitations have almost gone but also there is a lot less stress in my life now so wonder just how much that affects everything. 

Experiment with different drugs to see how you get on , if you could afford it I would go to a private clinic. You dont want to waste years feeling awful.

[dogdoc]

No idea how long it lasts but my 73 year old mother assures me that all her post menopausal friends feel pretty good and many of them had bad menopauses. So some hope there.

Just a note... It's probably all over the forum but I've not seen it mentioned recently. Back when I thought I was losing my mind and a psychiatrist suggested lamictal ( a bipolar drug).. I refused and asked for gabapentin. She said it would not work BUT she was wrong.

Now don't get me wrong it did not help the same way hrt is helping, but it definitely took the edge off my anxiety and reduced the hot flashes and possibly the headaches and brain fog too.

Just something else to consider if the ADs don't work and you don't want hrt.
Tara

[Taz2]

Thanks Tara - it's always good to have someone's experiences of different treatments. It is mentioned on Patient.co.uk too http://www.patient.co.uk/health/menopause-alternatives-to-hrt

Glad that it has helped you.

Taz x 

[GypsyRoseLee]

Hello Sarai 

I am so sorry to hear you are suffering with anxiety. I completely understand where you are coming from and completely identify with that 'living on a knife edge feeling'. Anxiety is such an evil condition. It strips the pleasure from everything. I am 44 and have been dealing with peri menopausal symptoms for the last 16 months. So far it's primarily anxiety and mood swings with random insomnia thrown in. Have yet to have a hot flush or night sweats though.

ADs can certainly help, but they only really masque the underlying cause. A lot of gynaecologists are worried at the amount of peri menopausal women being put on ADs by their GPs when really what their body needs is hormone therapy. Have you checked out Professor Studd's website to see what he has to say on the matter? It's very interesting.

Low/fluctuating oestrogen levels take away your sense of inner well being/happiness/contentment etc. Leaving you feeling inexplicably anxious and jittery.

ADs are strong, mind altering drugs. Whereas hormones are actually quite gentle in comparison. You could just trial HRT for say 3 months and see if there is any improvement?

[Lynjane]

Well, sorry to bring the mood down, but my periods stopped dead at 53, no gradual decline they just ended, meno symptoms started immediately and now at 63, are still ongoing! I can't take
HRT because of blood pressure issues, but I have tried everything else that I read/heard about, but nothing really worked. I have to say the flushes are nothing like as severe or frequent as they were, but I'm still experiencing palpitations, anxiety, joint pains, mood swings etc....maybe not as bad as they used to be, but still there! 

[Taz2]

Lynjane 

Taz  x

[Lynjane]

Thank you Taz!